peterj



H. F. READ.

(N o Modell) Wreneh.

No. 241,881. Patented May 24, |881'.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

l HENRY F. READ, OF BROOKLYN,NE\/V YORK.

WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 241,881, dated May 24, 1881.

-`Application tiledctober 25, 1880. (No model.)

` To all whom 'it may concern:

Beit known that I, HENRY FRANKLIN READ, acitizen ofthe United States,residin g at Brookl'yn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Wrenches, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to thatstyle ot wrenches embraced in my patent dated May 13, 1873, and in-which the holding device for the sliding jaw is of two separate parts, connected in a manner to allow the holding toothed part to move over the screw-stem to release the lock Yot" the sliding jaw. In this movement of the holding part it is liable to catch and bind upon the end of the screw-stem, and thus makeit somewhat ditiicult to free the holding device from the teeth ot the jaw-bar to Inove the sliding jaw.

My present improvements are designed to remedy this objection, to render the wrench more effective andY easily and con vcnientl y operated, and to reduce the expense of manufacture. I make the holding device practically ot one piece, so that the screw-stem moves with itin separating thelocking-teeth; and to allow of such movement ot' the screw-stein the nut thereon has a fulcrum-bearing in the sliding jaw, or a bearing similar to a-ball-andsocketjoint, sothatthe nut is free to move with its screw-stem towardand from the toothed jawbar upon said bearing in operating the holding device.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents my improved wrench in longitudinal section; Fig. 2, the holding device detached, showin g the screw-stem and its thumb-strap rigidly connected 5 Fig.3, the sliding jaw detached, showing the convex form of the forward seat for the thumbhut; Fig. 4, the thumb nut detached, showing its angular shouldered grooves and its convex bearingend. Figs. 5 and 6 show the claw-wrench; and Fig. 7, a section ot' the thumb-nut holding device, aud slidingjaw united. K

The jaw-bar a has the usual 'fixed jaw, l), and is provided with teeth c on one side,into which the holding device locks, and it has the usual handle. The sliding jaw (l is fitted for movement upon the jaw-bar, andthe holding device is connected with said sliding jaw, and is also tted for sliding movement upon said bar.

lhc holding device consists of the screwstem e, upon the inner side of the shank of which are formed teeth f, which interlock with those of the xedjaw-bar, and the thumb-operating strap y, which latter embraces said bar, said screw-stem and strap being ,rigidly connected to each other with thumb-surface g, corrugated to give the proper hold in operating the sliding jaw. The sliding jaw is formed with a projection, h, through which the screwstem passes, and between this projection and the jaw proper the thumb-nut i is placed, and into the screw-threaded opening of which said screw-stem works to effect the clamping action ot' said jaw on the article to be operated upon. The seats for the thumb-nut are of peculiar constructionthe one, j, upon the back of this jaw being a convex projection, and the other, k, on the inner side of'the projection h, being a concave recess-and through the seats thus formed the screw-stem passes. The en-ds of the thumb-nut are of corresponding form with its seats-that is to say, the concave end oi' said nut is adapted to tit snugly upon the convex jaw-seat j, and to have a movement thereon similar to that of a ball-and-socket joint, while the convex end k ot' said nut tits snugly within the concave seat, whereby said nut is allowed to have a movement with and controlled bythe holding device toward and from the iixed jawbar. The opening in the jaw-bar projection h for this purpose is ofl sufficiently larger size than that of the screw-stem to allow such movement, which is to make and release the locking action of the holding device with the teeth of said bar by separating the teeth sufficient to allowthem to pass each other, thereby rendering such action convenient and under easy control in sliding the jaw, because by reason ot' this capacity of the thumb-nut to move with the holding device toward and from the bar it matters not .how the thumb is applied to said holding device.

To maintain the locking action ofthe holding device a spring, l, is applied thereto, preferably for action upon the under side of the jaw-projection h, through which the screw-stem passes, and on the outer side of said ste1n,be cause such arrangement is advantageous as being free from friction, as it does not slide upon the bar with the jaw. The spring is permanently secured at one end Within a recess formed in the shank of the screw-stem, and covered by a cap which protects it from dirt and corrosion. The inner end of the screw-stem has no threads, and enters a corresponding hole in the slidingjaw, and is provided with a shouldered recess, m, into which a pin, n, or screw, inserted through the jaw, tits, merely to act as a stop to prevent the possible separation of the parts, While the function ot the recess mis to allow ofthe movement of thejaw upon said screwstem for a given distance to eiiect the clamping action of the jaw. This clamping action cannot be made eii'ective for general purposes by the action of the lingers upon a milled nut, and I therefore provide the nut with parallel grooves s, extending from end to end,the sides oi'which are angular or radial, for the purpose oi' allowing the use of a clawwrench, o, adapted to lit into said grooves and over the nut, to produce an excessive clamping power of the sliding jaw upon the thing to be clamped, so that the Wrench can ,be used for any clamping purposes, and it is put on Without the exercise ot'any special care, as the claw r is sure to catch into the grooves and to be securely held therein against the angular shoulder and give the desired leverage. This claw-Wrench is shown at A, with the claw long` enough to take a good hold.

I have shown and described the seats i'or the thumb-nut as being of convex and concave form; but I do not conne myselfl to such speciiio construction, as it is obvious that thc object and advantages aimed at-viz., the movement ofthe thumb-nut by and with the holding device in relation to the bar and the bearing of said nut upon the movable jaw-may be ei'- fected by different means from the specilc construction shown. The thumb -nut with the square-shouldered grooves gives important advantages in a Wrench having a sliding jaw operated by a screw-stein.

I have stated that the screw-stein e and the strap g are rigidlyr connected together, and it is preferable to tveld them together in a manner 24LSB1 to render them practically integral, though not of a single piece.

I claim- 1. In combination, the toothed jaw-bar, the slidingjaw and the holding` device therefor, the nut upon the screw-stein of said holding device, having a concave end, and the sliding jaw having a convex seat i'or said nut, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

2. In a wrench, the combination of the toothed jawbar, the sliding jaw, the holding device therefor, consisting ot' the rigidly-connected toothed screw-stem c and the strap f/ and the nut i, the said sliding jaw having a convex and a concave seat, and the nut having corresponding concave and convex ends Iitting said jaar seats, substantially as described, t'or the purpose specified.

3. The sliding-jawholding device, consisting of the screwstem e, provided with the toothed shan l; and the tlium boperating strap g, rigidly connected to each other, in combination with the thumb-nut, the slidingjaw, and the spring, con structed for operation substantially7 as set forth.

4. The combinaton ofthe spring l, arranged upon the toothed shank of the screw-stem c, with the open slidingjaw part h, upon which Said spring acts, and the toothedjaw-bar af, the opening in the said part h being sufiicientl y larger than the screw-siem to afford lateral movement thereof in relation to said toothed bar, substantially as described, for the purpose specitied.

5. The combination, in a Wrencl|,oi' the lixed and the sliding jaws with the holding device, consisting ot' rigidly-comiected sereanstem and strap, a spring carried by said holding de' vice, and the thumb-nut having a movement controlled by that of the holding device to separate the loeliing-teeth, substantially as aml for the purpose specilied.

In testimony whereotl I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of' two subscribing Wit.- nesses.

HENRY F. READ.

Witnesses:

A. E. H. JoHNsoN, J. W. HAMILTON J oHNsoN. 

